You can now vote for your favourite shortlisted venue in each of the 7 categories of the Food and Drink Festival. The shortlist was announced at a launch in the Town Hall, St Albans on Thursday 15 September attended by the Mayor Cllr Aislinn Lee and Cllr Julian Daly, Executive Leader of St Albans City and District Council.
Photo caption left to right: Phil Defriez Festival Organiser for CAMRA, The Mayor Cllr Aislinn Lee, Cllr Julian Daly, Executive Leader of the Council.
The categories you can vote for from across the whole district are:
Best Restaurant
Belvedere Restaurant (at Ardmore House), St Albans
Darcys, St Albans
Lussmanns, St Albans
Okka Cafe Brasserie, Harpenden
Veer Dhara, St Albans
Best Pub
The Holly Bush, Potters Crouch
The Plough, Tyttenhanger
The Six Bells, St Albans
The White Lion, St Albans
The Three Horseshoes, Harpenden
Best Bar
Bar 62 , St Albans
Mokoko, St Albans
Slug and Lettuce, St Albans
The Peahen, St Albans
The Snug Bar, St Albans
Best Café
Barrissimo, St Albans
Lily Lounge, Harpenden
Okka Cafe Brasserie, Harpenden
Secret Garden Café, St Albans
Soko Coffee, St Albans
Family Friendly
Inn on the Park, St Albans
Lussmanns, St Albans
Secret Garden Café, St Albans
The Blackberry Jack, St Albans
The Nectar House, Chiswell Green
Left to right - event sponsors: Richard Marrett from St Michael’s Manor Hotel, Andrei Lussmann from Lussmanns, Julia Jenkins from Flagship Wines, Lis Coulthard from All about St Albans.com., The Mayor Cllr Aislinn Lee, Jass Patel from Mokoko, Ruth Hurren from Darcys, Jenny Swatton St Albans City and District Council, Matt Adams from The Herts Advertiser, Charles Baker St Albans City and District Council
Local Gem
Dixies Cupcakery, St Albans
Heaven is a Cupcake, St Albans
Sycamore Wholefoods, St Albans (market and Hatfield Road)
The Pudding Stop, St Albans
The Village Flapjack Co, Redbourn (and St Albans market)
Local Producer
Carpenters Nursery, Sandridge
Childwickbury Goats Cheese, Childwickbury
Earthworks, St Albans
Redbournbury Mill, Redbournbury
That Little Brewery, Harpenden
You can also nominate an individual person working within the food and drink industry for the Kate D’Arcy Award for Exceptional Customer Service. This award was created in memory of Kate D’Arcy, co-founder of Darcys Restaurant and is for someone who has exceeded normal expectations by providing outstanding service. To vote go to the website.
Voting for all categories including the Kate D’Arcy Award closes on Friday 30 September.
To vote go to the website. From 15 September the shortlist for each category will be available online.
The winners will receive their awards at the special award ceremony to be held on Thursday 6 October at St Michael’s Manor Hotel in Fishpool Street, St Albans. Everyone is welcome to attend this prestigious event. The evening includes a welcome drink, delicious 3 course buffet and a raffle in aid of the Mayor, Cllr Aislinn Lee’s charities*. This event is sponsored by Flagship Wines, Mokoko and St Michael’s Manor Hotel. Tickets are £25 plus a booking fee and can be booked online.
This is the fourth year of the St Albans Food & Drink Festival, organised by St Albans City and District Council, which showcases the fantastic range of food, drink and produce available across the district. It starts on Wednesday 28 September with the famous St Albans Beer Festival organised by CAMRA* and ends with the al fresco Festival Finale in St Peter’s Street on Sunday 9 October.
The Mayor, Cllr Aislinn Lee commented: “This is a really enjoyable event for us all. When you see that a venue has won an award, you often wonder who voted for them. In this event we all have a chance to vote for our favourite venue in each category and the anticipation of waiting to see if they’ve won. Do book your tickets for the award ceremony and please buy as many raffle tickets as possible because the proceeds go to my mayoral charities.”
Cllr Julian Daly, Executive Leader commented: “This is a great opportunity for St Albans to showcase what it has to offer. I encourage everyone to go out there to eat, drink and enjoy themselves.”
If you would like more information about the event, we’ll be updating our website: www.stalbansfoodanddrink.com and our facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/StAlbansFoodandDrinkFestival with more information about the Festival events. You can also E-mail: foodanddrinkfestival@stalbans.gov.uk to join the mailing list.
Brochures can be downloaded from the website: and are available online. You can also pick up a copy from the District Council Offices and the Tourist and Information Centre in St Albans.
Member contact:
Cllr Julian Daly, Executive Leader
St Albans City and District Council
Mobile: 07775 657200
Cllr Beric Read, Portfolio Holder for Community Engagement and Localism
St Albans City and District Council
Mobile: 07956 220264
Cllr Aislinn Lee, The Right Worshipful the Mayor of St Albans City & District.
Contact for the Mayor’s office:
Alison Orde, the Mayor’s Civic Officer
Tel: 01727 819544 E-mail: mayoralty@stalbans.gov.uk
Contact for the press:
Davina Mansell, Information and Communication Officer
Tel: 01727 819316. E-mail: davina.mansell@stalbans.gov.uk
St Albans City and District Council
www.stalbans.gov.uk
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/StAlbansCouncil
Contact for further info about CAMRA: John Bishop, Beer and Publicity Organiser CAMRA, e-mail: realales@yahoo.com. Tel: 07720 295419.
Notes:
* The Mayor Cllr Aislinn Lee’s charities are Sure-start St Albans and St Albans and Hertsmere Women’s Refuge (SAHWR). For further information see her webpage.
** CAMRA campaigns for real ale, real pubs and consumer rights. It is an independent, voluntary organisation with over 100,000 members and has been described as the most successful consumer group in Europe. CAMRA promotes good-quality real ale and pubs, as well as acting as the consumer's champion in relation to the UK and European beer and drinks industry. See their website for more information: http://www.camra.org.uk/
See related press release:
Vote for your favourite food and drink venue 12 September 2011.